The Hypocrisy of 'Sinister' (M9): Lyrics vs. Player Conduct Standards

Do you people ever get bored of faux outrage?

Are we really getting outraged at song lyrics now guys? seriously?

The somewhat lewd song lyrics to public ERP in Limsa pipeline is real, I don't know why you people are trying to deny it

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cygnia

It means sooner or later you will run afoul of the very rules you disdain and be banned i.e. the problem (of a rude person) solves itself. They call it an affliction because to all appearances and by your own admission, it is something that causes suffering to you if not kept in check. I hope that is an adequate explanation.

---

Thanks for explaining that for me, I was fast asleep by then, lol.

As for the CG stuff... I've encountered unattended people like OP, and in general the common agreement is that much like actual children, if proper conduct cannot be assured, they shouldn't be let into certain spaces that require a base level of maturity.

Rules are not stupid. Some *individual* rules are, but having rules and a society with laws is how humans survive and and thrive. We're social creatures by instinct and evolution.

It’s a bit much for my tastes but I certainly wouldn’t have called it ‘unacceptable’ or ‘inappropriate’. I mean, it’s not really any more suggestive than an average pop song these days, right? I’d give it like, one raised eyebrow at most lol

This post is Thal's balls

its a good song with a good text

I think it might be worth mentioning that things said by other players in the game are said with an intention, such as eliciting a response in other players or at worst maybe even with a predatory intent. This however is a song that just exists in the game directed at no one and has no intention of eliciting any kind of response from anyone either.

This song is allowed but people get reported for having the same words in adventure plates or BDSM as a fc tag...

oh karen...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by justausername

This song is allowed but people get reported for having the same words in adventure plates or BDSM as a fc tag...

---

No karen you get reported for having your butt in front view in your plate picture

What i dont get is how is the game pg13... the story and sidequests has discussions of torture, suicide, assault, prostitution, trafficking,... shouldnt it be rated 18?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freshavocado

What i dont get is how is the game pg13... the story and sidequests has discussions of torture, suicide, assault, prostitution, trafficking,... shouldnt it be rated 18?

---

No, all of that is pretty much PG-13. It's never explicit even when mentioned so it doesn't touch the realm of an R rating.

What a waste of forum space... Getting upset by music....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brandr

What a waste of forum space... Getting upset by music....

---

This is why they don't take the NA forum complaints seriously. Can you really blame them when this is the type of stuff that gets posted here?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Appleboops

If you truly have an issue with the over-sexualized lyrics of this song, which quite frankly having read them just now I wouldn't even judge you if you did, you could always file an official complaint via the ESRB website since FF14 is rated T - Teen
That said, if it's just a question of FF14 Development and Design being hypocrites .. oh well that's just how things go sometimes

---

Thanks for suggestion I did file a complaint with the ESRB

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NecroprincessCleo

ya sorry no thats a white knight defense, the fact is they kinda don't have the right to have those rules due to one simple fact, their rating https://www.esrb.org/ratings/29479/final-fantasy-xiv/ actively goes against their own rules so I'm sorry hell no if we can't do it nor can your npcs and songs. and have been for years, having a rule just because someone feels bad doesn't give reason to that rule, period. more so if you dont like it don't read it mute those words/black list use your own tools...


and don't even say its rated for 13 year olds plus I been saying and doing things that make most adults feel uncomfortable since i was 12 lol your not protecting anyone with that bs lol


As for respect: sorry, no respect isn't automatically given, hell, I don't respect anyone outside maybe 6 people for the simple fact they are human.


Here's the funny thing, it's actually worse for a big corporation to do it because it's their own written rules they're going against, big difference between a random person saying something bad who has nothing to do with the rules. It's cool if you do it, but don't expect us to follow your rules if you won't even follow your own rules

---

Yes I completely agree. Sick of the hypocrisy. The people saying it's just a song so it doesn't actively target anybody like interpersonal comments would, that makes it even worse, because now it's AoE degeneracy instead of just one person being exposed to it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ForteNightshade

OP isn't being entirely honest. There's no chance a GM dragged them into gaol over calling someone "cringe." If they did, you got a GM on a particular bad day because they'd be hi-fiving Mars to make that stretch work even as flaming, let alone anything else.

---

Well I don't know what to tell you, that's exactly what happened. Joined a Praetorium and someone said ":3 Hello fwends! Let's look for friends to make!! ^.^" *first pull of dungeon happens* "OH NO! :3 Those aren't friends! ABORT ABORT!! >.<" And so then I said "you just posted cringe" then left the duty and didn't log on for days afterwards. Got a warning waiting for me when I logged back in

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RedLolly

Rules are not stupid. Some *individual* rules are, but having rules and a society with laws is how humans survive and and thrive. We're social creatures by instinct and evolution.

---

Nobody said anything about rules being stupid. If anything it was about how much I like rules and that the company isn't following their own rules.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xuled

welcome to the greytest community ever btw.. you will get reported for what the game gets away with. go figure.

---

GCBTW on full display here lol, but it's okay i'm here to show that not everybody is a minion. There are some normal people here, this post is my Christmas gift to anybody who feels the same as me, the over moderation, the fragile ego's, the cringe furries, the reddit/discord mod archetype, it's all so saturated. Just look how some of these people type, you can tell they think their IQ is like 200.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Connor

It’s a bit much for my tastes but I certainly wouldn’t have called it ‘unacceptable’ or ‘inappropriate’. I mean, it’s not really any more suggestive than an average pop song these days, right? I’d give it like, one raised eyebrow at most lol

---

People keep saying it's not worse than what's already existing. Did anybody ever teach you two wrongs don't make a right? Some of the songs nowadays are outright insane, but that's besides the point, the point is the game has content like this song in the context of not ever being allowed to say anything if isn't basted in pure innocence and positivity before saying it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cambra

"Looking for pleasure"
"You groaned, yeah you did"
"Got you in my sight, baby it's my first time, I'll take it slow yeah"
"Now get down on your knees, I'm asking please"
"Release the leather"
"Don't stop"
"I'll take all I wanna, Gotta take all I wanna, Don't let me down"
"Never let me surrender"
"Now watch me grow"
"Going hard, going soft"
"Free for all, consensual, I thought I'm in the clear"
"Ready or not, bottom or top, what you got in mind?"
"A little more I'll give you more, I couldn't choose this honey"
"Under my heels, twist and turn, I don't hear a safe word"

---

None of that is sexual. "Yes it is, because I know-" You provided that context to yourself, on your own.
Remember back in the early 90s, when a lot of us as kids were dancing to the Thong Song? Candy Shop, Give it To You, Promiscuous, Dip it Low-I can go on and on. We had no idea what those lyrics meant, we just knew we liked the song. Not everyone is going to hear the lyrics and go like BOYYOIYOIYOING most people it'll go right over their heads, if they even have the game music on to begin with. But yeah, so the main issue here is line by line, nothing is explicit, and that's the difference. It wasn't as descriptively raunchy as WAP. Most of that, you can say in public chats just fine-I don't know why one would...? I don't know if we're asking for the right to be addicts in shout chat, I'm hoping we're not. Explicit chat isnt bannable at all though, so long as it's between consenting people privately. If the song was explicit then I would agree, but since it's subtle, it doesn't compare. "that's not subtle-" Yes it is, in the sense that blatant vulgarity isn't in use. There is no private part naming, no cursing, no direct mention of sex. That's not to say that it isnt about sex, but since it's ambiguous about it, then there's nothing wrong with it, even if you yourself can figure out what you believe it to mean.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by justausername

This song is allowed but people get reported for having the same words in adventure plates or BDSM as a fc tag...

---

Exactly. And people will tell you it's different because one is coming from a real person and the other is coming from the game. They don't realize that a real person had to type the lyrics in the first place, a real person had to proof-read it, a real person had to give it the greenlight, a real person had to program it into the game. But i'm not allowed to say anything "emotionally upsetting". So, in 2025 on ff14, not saying anything emotionally upsetting to the broader scope of the community? Yeah you're not typing much of anything then, makes for an incredibly boring social dynamic and the feeling of lightly treading on eggshells at all times if you even -think- about saying something against the grain

The problem with where we are socially on this game is that once again the loudest voice is the most heard, normal people do not like the way the FF14 community operates. I believe it's become this way because the impactful moderation is on the JP side of things, they simply cannot fathom how the players on NA feel, the culture is too different. Being all goody' two shoes 24/7 might be fine for their culture, but this game is supposed to be about violent fights, bloody brawls, it has prostitution in it from both NPCs and real players, it has gambling, alcohol, death, all of these badass concepts in it, really beautiful and cool monsters, but the truth of the matter is, do you know how EASY it is to emotionally upset somebody? Especially now in 2025? It would be more impressive if you managed to not do so, which lately seems to be not ever typing anything at all.
This woke ideology is killing this game. These people need to looked down on as whiners, dully noted, and then reserve actual moderation for the real problem makers. Gonna put a black mark on my account because I said "you just posted cringe" I have Wuk Lamat running around doing whatever it is she does, kill the game, I guess. Meanwhile I'm not allowed to say anything more offensive than the word 'cringe' which narrows it down to just "GG" and "have a good day" Not to mention, if anybody else says anything else equal to or greater than "cringe" I, as a good samaritan, am obligated to file a report on them now, because that's clearly against the rules, which does take a lot of time. So all in all it's a real mess and I would wish to see better for this game, I think the game should reflect it's content more fairly to what players are held to.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Batbrat

None of that is sexual. "Yes it is, because I know-" You provided that context to yourself, on your own.
Remember back in the early 90s, when a lot of us as kids were dancing to the Thong Song? Candy Shop, Give it To You, Promiscuous, Dip it Low-I can go on and on. We had no idea what those lyrics meant, we just knew we liked the song. Not everyone is going to hear the lyrics and go like BOYYOIYOIYOING most people it'll go right over their heads, if they even have the game music on to begin with. But yeah, so the main issue here is line by line, nothing is explicit, and that's the difference. It wasn't as descriptively raunchy as WAP. Most of that, you can say in public chats just fine-I don't know why one would...? I don't know if we're asking for the right to be addicts in shout chat, I'm hoping we're not. Explicit chat isnt bannable at all though, so long as it's between consenting people privately. If the song was explicit then I would agree, but since it's subtle, it doesn't compare. "that's not subtle-" Yes it is, in the sense that blatant vulgarity isn't in use. There is no private part naming, no cursing, no direct mention of sex. That's not to say that it isnt about sex, but since it's ambiguous about it, then there's nothing wrong with it, even if you yourself can figure out what you believe it to mean.

---

Just because some people will perceive it differently doesn't make it not what it is, sexual.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cambra

Just because some people will perceive it differently doesn't make it not what it is, sexual.

---

You're too puritan to be on the internet.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by justausername

This song is allowed but people get reported for having the same words in adventure plates or BDSM as a fc tag...

---

There is a difference between a song having lewd lyrics and someone including "dommy mommy" or "BDSM" in their bio
One is game content and the other hints at actual ERP in the game, something that the devs don't want to be in the public eye

This is not a hard distinction to make, and it makes me think that people that are mad about the lyrics just want to behave inappropriately/ERP in public without consequence

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mouthbone

There is a difference between a song having lewd lyrics and someone including "dommy mommy" or "BDSM" in their bio
One is game content and the other hints at actual ERP in the game, something that the devs don't want to be in the public eye

This is not a hard distinction to make, and it makes me think that people that are mad about the lyrics just want to behave inappropriately/ERP in public without consequence

---

Except that's not the case lol
Whos erping in public? That's terrible.
The song is great. Its just a shocker to hear in a pg13/T game. Doesn't feel very pg13, nor do the cutscenes before the raid. It maybe innuendo but its still blatantly obvious. And yes there are story beats from the past around other adult topics. Eulmore has a whole strip club.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cambra

The lyrics i'm talking about are:

"Looking for pleasure"
"You groaned, yeah you did"
"Got you in my sight, baby it's my first time, I'll take it slow yeah"
"Now get down on your knees, I'm asking please"
"Release the leather"
"Don't stop"
"I'll take all I wanna, Gotta take all I wanna, Don't let me down"
"Never let me surrender"
"Now watch me grow"
"Going hard, going soft"
"Free for all, consensual, I thought I'm in the clear"
"Ready or not, bottom or top, what you got in mind?"
"A little more I'll give you more, I couldn't choose this honey"
"Under my heels, twist and turn, I don't hear a safe word"

My problem is the inconsistency.

The game's rules and the GMs are crystal clear: we have to keep things PG13 in public chat. Why? Because, as a GM told me when I got warned for calling someone "cringe," I should "assume someone could be 13." That's the standard we have to live by.

So then I log in and hear this song, with lyrics that are deliberately sexual to an extreme degree.

My question for Square Enix is simple: Are you aware your players can be 13?

If not, why tell me to assume I'm talking to a 13-year old?
If so, why make a song like this?

It's the definition of "rules for thee, but not for me." As players, we're held to a strict, family friendly filter in our words. Also if I repeated these lyrics in Limsa Lominsa's shout chat? I'd get a violation faster than you can say "safe word."

---

There is nothing there going over the borderline with what the ratings stand for.

If some of the suggested stuff, or you are homophobic or whatever leaves you with the choice of wanting to play the game or stop playing it entirely.... I just don't see why it can bother anyone at all.

It is listed, as well, that content can change over time as well as requirements.

Ok gonna be real here for a moment

It feels like the ‘think of the children’ shtick people are throwing about is just a scapegoat, and the real issue is ‘how dare SE make lyrics with implied sexual innuendo directed at literally nobody but I’m not allowed to blatantly ERP in public /say chat.

I mean I’ve seen and heard people type all sorts of ‘humorous innuendo’ since 2.0 on parties, shout, etc, funnily enough I don’t remember any of them being permabanned. Like even the goddamn NPCs are in on the joke lol. It’s absolutely untrue that you ‘can’t get away innuendo’, you just can’t get away with being a creep

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Connor

Ok gonna be real here for a moment

It feels like the ‘think of the children’ shtick people are throwing about is just a scapegoat, and the real issue is ‘how dare SE make lyrics with implied sexual innuendo directed at literally nobody but I’m not allowed to blatantly ERP in public /say chat.

I mean I’ve seen and heard people type all sorts of ‘humorous innuendo’ since 2.0 on parties, shout, etc, funnily enough I don’t remember any of them being permabanned. Like even the goddamn NPCs are in on the joke lol. It’s absolutely untrue that you ‘can’t get away innuendo’, you just can’t get away with being a creep

---

Yeaahhh it's not coming across as genuine here, is it. Some of the posts here are sounding a bit more like, 'Well, the game has suggestive themes, why can't I therefore turn Limsa's aetheryte into an open-air Fetlife chat?'

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cambra

Thanks for suggestion I did file a complaint with the ESRB

---

Good luck with that *pats on head*

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cambra

The problem with where we are socially on this game is that once again the loudest voice is the most heard, normal people do not like the way the FF14 community operates. I believe it's become this way because the impactful moderation is on the JP side of things, they simply cannot fathom how the players on NA feel, the culture is too different. Being all goody' two shoes 24/7 might be fine for their culture, but this game is supposed to be about violent fights, bloody brawls, it has prostitution in it from both NPCs and real players, it has gambling, alcohol, death, all of these badass concepts in it, really beautiful and cool monsters, but the truth of the matter is, do you know how EASY it is to emotionally upset somebody? Especially now in 2025? It would be more impressive if you managed to not do so, which lately seems to be not ever typing anything at all.
This woke ideology is killing this game. These people need to looked down on as whiners, dully noted, and then reserve actual moderation for the real problem makers. Gonna put a black mark on my account because I said "you just posted cringe" I have Wuk Lamat running around doing whatever it is she does, kill the game, I guess. Meanwhile I'm not allowed to say anything more offensive than the word 'cringe' which narrows it down to just "GG" and "have a good day" Not to mention, if anybody else says anything else equal to or greater than "cringe" I, as a good samaritan, am obligated to file a report on them now, because that's clearly against the rules, which does take a lot of time. So all in all it's a real mess and I would wish to see better for this game, I think the game should reflect it's content more fairly to what players are held to.

---

Here it is finally the real reason OP is only angry at SE because they think it's "woke" — and everything else is to hide that the GM put them in jail for being rude and disrespectful to other players and they refuse to take responsibility for their actions in a MMO owned by a company that can ban you for breaking them.

It only took 8 pages of doing a lot of whataboutism for them to realize yes you can be banned for acting poorly in-game, and there's nothing you can do to stop them from closing your account if you get too many strikes.

Game is M15+ in Australia and PEGI 16 in UK, so the song is perfectly fine imo. It's also just a song in a single battle zone, which you can easily mute if you don't feel like listening to it.

Also woke ideology? Wanna explain what the heck that is, OP?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CCheshire

Here it is finally the real reason OP is only angry at SE because they think it's "woke" — and everything else is to hide that the GM put them in jail for being rude and disrespectful to other players and they refuse to take responsibility for their actions in a MMO owned by a company that can ban you for breaking them.

It only took 8 pages of doing a lot of whataboutism for them to realize yes you can be banned for acting poorly in-game, and there's nothing you can do to stop them from closing your account if you get too many strikes.

---

Admittedly, the risk of getting banned over the word "cringe" does highlight why so few people bother to talk in this game (or only do so with people using outside methods like Discord), because it's not worth speaking up and immediately putting one self in the crosshairs. There's not even a nice and polite way to tell someone they're doing something wrong/how to improve at something because by default, telling them at all is considered rude and actionable.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aidorouge

There's not even a nice and polite way to tell someone they're doing something wrong/how to improve at something because by default, telling them at all is considered rude and actionable.

---

i think the issue is
why tell them? unless they ask you.

you could ask them if they want pointers. but never give unasked for 'advice'

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aidorouge

There's not even a nice and polite way to tell someone they're doing something wrong/how to improve at something because by default, telling them at all is considered rude and actionable.

---

Is it? I've yet to be thrown into GM Gaol for giving out advice on how to improve/have fun playing a Job. If people are being thrown into GM Gaol for giving out advice, then it's how they're wording it and/or how insistent they are even after being told to stop/not interested.

WoN't SoMeBoDy PlEaSe ThInK oF tHe ChIlDrEn!??!!

Quote:

---

You can't insult other players and do sex roleplay in a public space

---

Woke Lamat, The Communist Manifesto